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Saito had mentioned that the feet should not be together before he passed away.
Ikeda Sensei's Koshi video shows some wonderful throws that end with the feet together, including a sick jo takeaway that I have never seen anyone else even attempt.
It appears to be one of those technical details that offers endless debate and minimal significance.

...
It appears to be one of those technical details that offers endless debate and minimal significance.

Why would a technical detail of a technique be insignificant? On the lowest level a technique is a collection of details, stringing those details together exposes the logic of the technique, different details == different techniques.

It appears to be one of those technical details that offers endless debate and minimal significance.

Ha, I really liked this quote, Then below that I see:

Quote:

Why would a technical detail of a technique be insignificant?

I see the validity in both statements, but I still tend to agree with the first much more.

It is very reasonable to say that doing something a different way, makes it a different technique, because that is a true statement. However It's also just a name, that points to a thing, and not actually the thing itself.

For example; Koshi nage is a very general term, it simply means "hip throw". That name points to a thing, the thing is someone being thrown by way of the hip. Now off the top of my head, I can think of about 5 distinctly different ways to accomplish that task. Those ways are all different and so might be the names by which I call them. But the end result is the same; someone got thrown by way of my hip.

We could debate the distinctions about those "techniques", but really they are all just hip tosses. I guess it depends whether your interest is in the overall effect or the specifics that led up to that effect.

"For example; Koshi nage is a very general term, it simply means "hip throw". That name points to a thing, the thing is someone being thrown by way of the hip. Now off the top of my head, I can think of about 5 distinctly different ways to accomplish that task. Those ways are all different and so might be the names by which I call them. But the end result is the same; someone got thrown by way of my hip."

I do not think that the fact that a technique has a descriptive name gives you a license to make it up. Let me rephrase it, the name denotes a specific technique. You can make up stuff five or 25 ways that satisfying the name, that does not make them valid Aikido. O-Goshi is a great Judo technique (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9UZ02P8M10c) but wearing a hakama while doing it does not make it Aikido. Here for example http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9UZ02P8M10c (starting at about 3:40), Saito demonstrates, why is important to be able to turn towards your blind spot once the throw is completed. This approach allows for multiple attackers and indicates true Aikido quality.

Quote:

"I guess it depends whether your interest is in the overall effect or the specifics that led up to that effect."

You are right, in one case you get cut from behind by the other attacker and in the other you do not.

I've seen koshi-nage adequately demonstrated and rationalized in several forms.

I accept the founders words that aikido is the form of no form based on my observations and experiences of nature and my practice in aikido.
I've also seen waves form and break in many shapes and sizes. They were all waves.

I've seen koshi-nage adequately demonstrated and rationalized in several forms.

I accept the founders words that aikido is the form of no form based on my observations and experiences of nature and my practice in aikido.
I've also seen waves form and break in many shapes and sizes. They were all waves.

Bet you never saw a square wave, or one with an orange color with red dots. No, these don't exist.

You call it what you want, but you will be cut from behind if you do koshi nage like that...